Knight of the Prince
by Cheerstomaplesyrup
Summary: Prince Nico, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Austellus, didn't understand why his father suddenly thought that he needed someone to protect him. This is also on Ao3 btw, I did this so you peeps who aren't on Ao3 could have access to it Ciao, and have a good day, my dudes
1. Introduction

I don't own any of the characters and the series, I only own the plot.

Inspired by a roleplay we had in school and the Cardverse Au of Hetalia

Forgive me if some of the characters are ooc, they have to be for the sake of the story

Also, some of the characters' relationships have changed for the sake of the story, once again.

Ciao, have a good day, my dudes~

A long, long time ago, in a faraway land, four kingdoms lived in peace and harmony. Each kingdom was blessed by Chaos, giving each individual kingdoms a unique power. The kings and queens of each kingdom can harness the power given to them, the Kingdom of Austellus was blessed with the power over earth and the riches found buried under the surface, the Kingdom of Aquilonius was blessed with the power over the skies and winds, the Kingdom of Tolkien was blessed with the power over fire and magic, and lastly, the Kingdom of Occasus was blessed with the power over storms and seas.

For centuries they lived in peace, having the occasional crises and wars, but the Kingdoms of Austellus and Aquilonius were long-term rivals, they were mainly the reason why the peace was disturbed amongst the four kingdoms. The other two kingdoms would be forced to choose sides or stay neutral whenever the two kingdoms would declare war against each other, thousands lose their lives, many more wounded and neither Austellus or Aquilonius would win. Tolkein and Occasus found the rivalry of two kingdoms quite childish, and decided that the next heirs of Austellus and Aquilonius were to be married, to settle the peace between the two kingdoms.

Prince Nico, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Austellus, didn't understand why his father suddenly thought that he needed someone to protect him.

"Father, I am capable of defending myself, I have undergone training since I was young boy, as the heir to the throne, it is expected of me to be able in combat." The young prince rambled in front of his father's throne, the king sighed, sometimes he wondered why couldn't his son accept his fate. "Yes, I know that you are capable of protecting yourself, but you must understand that our kingdom and the Kingdom of Aquilonius have been rivals for centuries, we are at the brink of war with the said kingdom and I cannot risk you to be caught up in the middle of chaos. I have already lost your mother and sister to war, and I am not allowing the same fate upon you. I have selected the best of my men to protect you against danger."

As if on cue, a knight walked forward, his helmet tucked in his arms. His sky blue eyes shone with energy, his blonde curls bounced each time he took a gleeful step as he approached the two royals, he bowed before them. "Your majesty, I am Sir William Solace, at your service, sire." a smile graced his lips as he finished his introduction, his eyes momentarily met the prince's dark brown ones.

Nico knew that there was something different with this knight, the moment his eyes locked with the knight's, the world seemed to send him a message that he couldn't decipher. The prince scowled, he quickly averted his gaze and glared at his father. "I told you, I don't need a knight. For Chaos's sake, I'm the future ruler of Austellus, I am a prince, so treat me as one," he gripped his hands tightly and hardened his gaze, "I am not a damsel that needs a knight in shining armor to save me." he stormed out of the throne room, leaving the other two behind.

"Shall I follow him?" the knight asked, the king nodded and sighed exasperatedly, "Forgive his attitude, he's quite grumpy these days. Before you go," The king stood from his throne and walked towards the young knight, his dark brown eyes fixated on Will, " You have to swear your loyalty to my heir. Do you swear, that from now on, you are to protect the prince, you are to be ready to give up your life for him, you are to be loyal to him as you are to your kingdom?"

" I, Sir William Solace, solemnly swear, that I will protect the prince to the best I can, I am ready to lay down my life for him, and I am loyal to the throne and to Austellus. Shall he ever become king, I will stay by his side, as his guardian and as his right hand man." the knight knelt as he swore his loyalty, the king motioned for him to stand up. A small smile tugged at the king's lips, "May Chaos bless you and grant you strength." he said, Will bowed before leaving the throne room, off to find the prince.

•

The young prince wandered the castle's tall, grey halls. He didn't know what to feel, does his father even trust his abilities? His whole life, he had been preparing himself, training his abilities, studying to be the future ruler of Austellus. His train of thought was interrupted when he heard footsteps behind him, he whirled around and was surprised to see the knight from earlier. "Oh, sorry my prince, your father asked me to follow you," Will rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, Nico scowled, "Of course he did." he walked away from the knight and fastened his pace. Will caught up with the prince, who was clearly annoyed. "But, I don't see why you'd need a knight like me. From your physique, you look like you could handle an army by yourself." Nico stopped walking and looked at Will straight in the eye, "I see that you understand how I feel, now leave me alone."

"Apparently, I cannot. I swore an oath that I will protect you and stay by your side to the end of my days. I cannot go against my word, I mean, what kind of knight would I be if I did?" the young knight laughed. Nico mentally groaned, "Knights are so foolish, they make a vow and they're tied to it forever." he muttered under his breath. He sped down the castle halls, the knight following him. It went like this until Nico snapped, "STOP FOLLOWING ME!" his voice echoed through the walls. The prince was quiet, he surprised himself with his own outburst. The knight's bright blue eyes slightly dimmed, "Oh, um...I still have to, uh...train. I'll see you around then, your highness." Will walked away, not even glancing behind him as he turned around a corner.

Nico was confused, did he cross an invisible line, perhaps? He wasn't sure. Since he was the only living heir to the throne, he had limited contact with the world outside of the palace. He didn't know how to react with other people's behavior. Much less talk with them in a friendly demeanour. He sighed, looking around him, he noticed that he was alone, all by himself in the dark, cold hallway. Not knowing what to do, he decided to consult his mentor and his father's most brilliant advisor.


	2. Acquaintance

"Ah, Nico my boy! What brings you here today?" The old man's eyes beamed with glee, "Sir Chiron, I seek some advice."

"You have come to the right place. My student is making tea in the barracks, would you like some?" Chiron asked, setting down his tools on a tree stump. He was just making a new quiver of arrows when his beloved student, the prince, arrived seeking for his advice. Chiron found it quite delightful to see how much the prince had grown from a small child to the strong young man he is today.

"Ah, no thanks. I'm not really a fan of tea," said the prince, "Wait. You have another student?"

Chiron chuckled, " I am a teacher of knights, I have taught the best knights and soldiers in Austellus, I have fought beside the king in wars. It's my job as the king's general and advisor after all, my prince." he noticed the uneasy expression on the young prince's face, "You have come to seek advice, yes? What is it that's troubling you, child?"

The prince sighed, "My father assigned a knight to protect me, it was because of our unstable relationship with Aquilonius he did this. I said that I am capable of taking care of myself but my father insisted, so now I'm not sure how to deal with a situation new to me. Should I treat him as a friend? As a stranger?" Nico lowered his gaze, " You know that I cannot express my feelings properly since mother and my sister... I want to at least trust him, but I find it hard to."

"My prince," said Chiron, " I can only give you this advice but I am not sure if this shall help you," he placed a hand on Nico's shoulder, " Learn to trust him, as a knight, he has sworn his loyalty to the throne and to you. But if you learn to trust him, he will be loyal to you not just as a knight, but as a friend and as a brother." he smiled kindly at the other.

"Teacher, the tea is ready!" a young man called out from the barracks, his voice was immediately recognized by Nico. The prince's blood ran cold when he saw who the general's other student was.

A tray in his hands, Will Solace walked towards the other two. When he saw the prince, he gave a small smile and greeted him. " Good afternoon, your highness. I didn't expect to see you around here," Nico raised an eyebrow, "I'm Sir Chiron's student as well, is there something wrong if I just wish to visit my mentor?"

"I'm not saying that-" Will retorted but was cut off by Chiron, "Children, stop." he glanced at the prince and then at the knight, "I suppose you were the knight that was assigned to protect the prince, no?"

"How did you-"

"It's alright, the king told me." he glanced sideways at Nico, who knew that he was lying. "Anyway, since you were chosen to protect the prince, you need to train more than usual. Unfortunately, Kayla is sick today, you don't have a sparring partner." Chiron said, "However, since the prince came here on a surprise visit, he might be just the perfect sparring partner for you."

"_WHAT_?" the two young men said in unison, both surprised. They stared at ther mentor in disbelief, they both started to argue with the old general, hoping to change Chiron's mind. "Prince Nico," said Chiron, "If what you claim is true, that you are capable of protecting yourself, I want proof that you can." he then looked at Will, "As for you, William, I want to see if you are really capable of protecting the security of the prince. Fetch your sword, son, and meet us in the clearing."

•••

"Just so you know," Will twirled his sword in his hand, "I didn't ask for this." Nico shrugged, "Neither did I. I must warn you though, I am an excellent swordsman." a sly grin appeared briefly on the prince's face. "Oh? Show me then, my prince." the knight challenged, and soon, the sound of clashing metal filled the air as the two young men fought each other ferociously.

Neither backed out, both using their strength and wit, trying to outsmart each other. Will saw an opening and tackled the prince to the ground, momentarily disorienting the royal. "Ugh." Nico groaned, a playful grin appeared on the knight's bright face. "I'm sure you could do better than that, my prince."

"Tch. Watch me." in one fluid movement, the prince pushed Will off him and disarmed the knight. "In a duel, one must not just focus on their enemy and their weapon," Nico said as he held Will's sword in his hand, pointing it to the knight's neck, "they must also take notice of their own situation and weapon. You should know that, William." A shiver went down the knight's spine when he heard the prince say his first name, Nico offered a hand, Will took it and stood up as well. The knight laughed lightly,

"You're a worthy opponent, your highness. It's been an honor to duel with you." he held out a hand for Nico to shake, the prince shook his hand and gave one of his rarest smiles, "Do drop the formalities, call me by my first name whenever we are alone." he said, the knight grinned brightly, "Will do, Nico."

Chiron saw the two young men chatting with each other, he smiled, knowing that they are finally getting along. "Sir Chiron," a messenger caught the old general's attention. "What is it, young lad? Do you have a message for me, perhaps?" the messenger climbed down from his horse and handed Chiron a rolled up parchment.

"Yes sir. The king wants you in his court immediately. Also, he wanted you to read that letter."

Chiron's eyes darkened, he nodded. "I understand, tell the king that I will be in his court right away." the messenger nodded and climbed on his saddle, "He also wanted the prince to be there as well, tell him for me, sir." he said and then rode away from Chiron.


	3. Love and Power

The knight wondered why they were suddenly summoned by the king, he thought of numerous scenarios and reasons why the king would call for them. His train of thought would be occasionally interrupted by the clop-clopping of the horses' hooves, the clinking sound of his armor as he rode, and he would occasionally glance at the prince riding beside him. He noticed how relaxed the prince looked, but his jaw was still tightened with worry.

Will wondered if the prince knew the reason why they were suddenly summoned by the king, "What?" Nico asked, he caught the knight staring at him, "I-it's nothing..." Will looked away, his ears pink. " Still feeling bad that I whipped your butt a while ago?" Nico smirked, the knight raised an eyebrow and decided to play along the prince's game. "If I might remember correctly, my prince, I believed that it was I who kicked your royal bottom."

"Is that how you speak to your prince, Sir Solace?"

"No, your highness. I must say, I never knew you had an ego bigger than the moon."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you."

Will chuckled softly, making the prince smile, something that he rarely did. He didn't know what to say next, so the through the whole trip, an awkward silence loomed over the two young men. Behind them, Chiron watched with amusement. He knew that although they may be opposites, they both can work well with each other, like left and right, and north and south.

The castle's walls loomed over them as they entered the gates, the knights guarding the entrance bowed as they passed by. "At ease," Chiron's voice commanded, the knights almost simultaneously went back to their posts to resume their duties.

They got off their horses as two other knights guided their steeds to a stable. The grand obsidian doors of the palace opened with a groan, the vast hallway met them. They walked ahead in a straight line, towards another pair of obsidian doors. The prince entered the throne room with the knight and general behind him.

The king was sitting on his throne, his dark eyes observed the three men, his shoulders were sagging from nights of loneliness and work, his robes were as dark as coal, a sign of mourning. A petite young woman stood beside him, she had a beautiful face, golden locks tumbled down her shoulders, her dress was grey and monotone, though she was not mourning, she wasn't happy. "Nico," the king said sternly, the prince, the general and the knight knelt in respect. "Father," the prince said as soon as he stood up, "Why have you summoned us?"

The king regarded his son with dark eyes, "As you know, you are the next in line to the throne, and the other three princes will be your fellow kings in the future. To strengthen our bonds, the current king and the prince of Occasus have invited us to a ball, the princes of the other two kingdoms will be there as well. Our presence is expected, no matter what our situation was, unfortunately." his words turned bitter after he said the last sentence, "The ball is to be held in two weeks, I presume that you'll be ready at that time, yes?"

Nico nodded stifly, it has been quite a while since he last saw his cousins. He wondered what changed with them after five years, so much had changed with Nico after five years for sure. He rarely smiled, he'd usually prefer to be alone, he eventually stopped caring about anything after his mother and sister's death.

"The general is to come with us as well, his presence is just as important as ours," he then stared at the blonde boy, "Sir Solace shall be escorting you to the ball, Nico." Nico nodded mutely, he didn't react rashly like the last time. At that time, he barely knew the knight, so he automatically built walls around him to keep the knight far away from him, but somehow, this knight managed to get through the thick walls and became acquaintances with the prince. He slowly began to trust this knight.

"You are dismissed." the king dismissively waved his hand, the three bowed and exited the throne room.

"He is not happy," the queen pointed out, the king glanced at the queen, "I know, Persephone, but this is his destiny. To be king, to rule this dying kingdom. I have to do everything in my power to seal his fate. Even if it costs his happiness."

Even if it costs his happiness.

Persephone grimaced at those words. She is married to the king, but she was forced. The Kingdom was struck with tragedy when the queen and the princess were slaughtered in a battle against Aquilonius five years before, the king was on a tightrope, He alone could not rule his kingdom, the people were in disarray, the gold that came from the mines suddenly dropped, there was a growing threat of another war with Aquilonius, he needed someone to rule by his side. He needed a queen.

Persephone knew that she was only there to rule by the king's side, to stabilize the kingdom, to pose as a figure of power. She loved the king, but she knew that he'll never love her back. It hurts her, but she's content. She admits that she didn't want to marry just because of power, she wanted to marry for love.

The queen sighed, "If that is your wish. But at least go easy on him, he's still young. He has so much waiting for him, an unhappy king is not a good ruler." The king's gaze hardened, "Are you implying something?"

"No, I'm not. You can take away everything a person has, but never take away their love and joy."

"Is this about me marrying you? If you were unhappy then you should've just rejected my request."

The queen stiffened, she gripped her hands, "It's not about our marriage, Hades. I just don't want you to cause anybody else's grief." she walked away from the king and left the throne room.


	4. Kingdom of Occasus

2 weeks later

"I've never been to a ball before," Will stated as he glanced at his reflection, he was wearing a white dress shirt, a golden tie below his dark grey vest, dark grey pants and black boots. He wore a black cloak with silver embroidered designs, his sword hidden under the cloak. "I've never worn anything this fancy before, as well." he placed his hands on his waist and grinned at the mirror. Nico rolled his eyes, he was fixing his hair, he wore an outfit that was similar to the knight's, but he wore an overcoat with golden hemmings and designs.

"The last ball I've been to wasn't appealing," Nico spoke as he fixed his hair. Will raised an eyebrow, "How come? Weren't there hot ladies at that ball?"

"What? No, I was ten years old back then. Why would I be interested in flirting with girls?" the prince sighed, "The ball was a unique one, it was a masquerade ball where women can dress up as men and men could dress up like women."

"That sounds...new."

"Yeah, it was a trend back then. I wonder if the other three kingdoms have balls like that these days. It's been quite a while since I left Austellus," Nico cleared his throat, "Anyway, are you ready?" he asked. Will pouted, "Aww, finish your story first! What happened that night?" he eagerly asked. The prince sighed in defeat, "Alright, that night, I met someone."

He paused for a moment, he breathed deeply and continued, "I wasn't sure who they were, I wasn't even sure if they were a boy or a girl. I just know, that this person, is important to me."

Silence.

"Pft." the knight tried to hide his laughter but was unsuccessful. He bursted out laughing, Nico scowled and whacked his head. "What was that reaction for?" The knight rubbed the back of his head, his grin still on his face. "I'm sorry, Nico. It's just, that story sounded so cliché-"

"Uh, excuse me," a maid cleared her throat, "the carriage is waiting outside, your highness."

Nico thanked the maid, "I guess we should get going."

Will nodded, "Yeah, it'd be rude if we're late."

Nico sat inside the carriage, the queen sat adjacent to him, while the king sat in front of them. The silent tension between the three royals was thick, the young prince gazed out of the small window of the carriage, he saw Will on horseback, eyes focused on the road. The knight noticed the prince, he gave him a smile and a little wave. Nico waved back.

"I see that you're getting along with Sir Solace, son." The king pointed out, the prince's ears became warm, "What? No, no way. I'm not getting along with anybody." he crossed his arms on his chest. The queen watched the prince with amused eyes, she rarely saw the prince show any other emotion other than anger and apathy. She placed her hand above her mouth to hide the small smile forming on her face.

Nico didn't want to admit that he was... getting along with anybody. He promised himself that he'd never let anyone get through his barriers, he didn't want to hurt himself anymore. Because when someone becomes dear to him, he loves them too deeply, and when they are taken from him, he ends up hurting and bitter. He was afraid to lose someone dear to him again.

He stayed quiet through the whole ride, occasionally looking at Will, who was oblivious to the prince's glances. He tried to take his mind off the knight, but he'd cross his mind every now and then, and it was confusing Nico. That smile, those bright blue eyes, his wheaten hair, something churned in Nico's stomach each time he'd think about them. They have grown quite closer the past two weeks, much closer than Nico expected. Drowned in his thoughts, he didn't notice that they have arrived at the entrance of Occasus.

The carriage passed the main road lit with lampposts glowing with golden flames, a small crowd formed on both side of the brick road, they were cheering for the monarchs in the carriage, welcoming them with warmth and joy. Wooden and concrete buildings towered over them as the rode towardsthe palace, the crowd growing thicker as they passed the city's square. The three royals admired the sophisticated statues and architecture they saw as they made their way through the city. In a short period of time, they saw the gleaming, pearly white gates of the palace, accented with blue and green designs, which opened as they passed through.

As they neared the entrance of the palace, dread filled the prince. He wondered how the king would react with their sudden presence after being isolated for five years, much more, he wondered how his cousin would react after not seeing each other for a long time.

The carriage came to a halt, the king went out first, followed by the queen and Nico. "Hades!" a deep voice greeted, the voice belonged to the king of Occasus. Nico noticed that the king had more grey hairs than the last time he saw him, but he was still as cheerful as before, his deep sea green eyes gleaming with joy, the wrinkles in his eyes showed that he smiled often, his cheeks bright red. His crown was tilted to the side, his ascot almost undone and his shirt a bit disheveled, it was either he was drunk or was just delirious to finally see his brother after five years.

Nico was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug, the person smelled like the sea breeze, his chest warm and arms strong. He knew all to well, though he expected another reaction (like a cold stare and a firm handshake), he recognized the person. "Get off, kelp brain!" Nico struggled, he was being suffocated, but the other prince hugged tighter. After a few seconds of struggling and protests, the prince of Occasus finally released Nico. "Percy, you're still the same idiot I've known five years ago." Nico panted, failing to hide the smile on his face. Percy grinned, "Same old, same old."

Percy had grown quite taller than him, his skin was tanned, his build healthy and muscular. But his sea green eyes, similar to his father's, glowed with energy and glee. "Come on, the party's about to begin." he grabbed Nico's wrist and ran towards the tall oak doors of the palace, kicking it open, surprising the guests of the ball.

"Our friends from Austellus have arrived, let the ball commence!"

The guests cheered and raised their liquor filled glasses into the air.


	5. The Royal Ball

Nico was sure that he wasn't enjoying how the night was going so far. Nobles from the four kingdoms greeted them and shook their hands, sometimes talking about their status and accomplishments, basically showing off. "Yo, Nico!" the said prince turned around and saw Percy waving at him, "C'mere for a sec! Leo and Jason wants to see you!"

The young monarch tensed at the mention of the other two princes. He had never been able to personally meet Prince Leo of Tolkien, but he had heard that he was just as cheerful and hyperactive as Percy (possibly more than the latter). He had heard tales about the Prince Jason of Aquilonius, the child warrior whom participated in the war between Austellus and Aquilonius five years before. Some said that he was a beast, killing everything in his path. He had seen Jason once, but he didn't trust his memory, he was still a very young boy the last time he met the other monarch.

He cautiously weaved through the crowd, dodging trays filled with pastries and the jabbing elbows of the nobles. When he finally got to where Percy was at, he was once again disappointed by his expectations. Prince Leo looked nothing like in his imagination, (he pictured him as a tall, serious person).The prince before him grinned, his impish features reminded Nico of a dwarf he saw in a story book once. Instead of a crown, he had golden framed goggles atop his uncombed curly brown hair , he was dressed quite modestly, a plain gothic white shirt, suspenders, a tool belt filled with various trinkets was wrapped around his waist, black pants paired with brown leather boots. Leo looked like a repair man rather than a prince.

Prince Jason, however, was the definition of royal. A fur robe adorned his shoulders, his chest was decorated with ribbons and medals, orange and yellow patterns were embroidered on his vest, his gladius strapped to his side, his boots were so shiny that Nico could see his own reflection, and a gleaming golden crown sat on his head. He regarded Nico with icy blue eyes, Jason stuck out his hand. "A pleasure to meet you again, Prince Nico."

"A pleasure as well, Prince Jason." he firmly shook his hand, Prince Leo held out a hand as well, "Leo of Tolkeim, nice to meet ya!" Nico shook the prince's hand as well, but his grip wasn't firm. After introducing each other properly, the four princes engaged into a conversation. Though, it was mostly the other three who were talking, Nico would only talk if he was asked a question. Losing interest in their conversation, his mind wandered off towards Will. He wondered why he would be thinking of the knight at such a random time, his eyes swept the crowd, hoping to see the familiar face of the blonde knight in an ocean of strangers.

"I don't think I like balls." Will muttered, Chiron smiled, "I never got to learn how to like them either," he gulped down the sparkling water in his glass, "they are sophisticated and complicated, I don't even see why a general should attend such an event." he took a small pastry from a nearby table and nibbled on it, "I thought you were supposed to be with the prince. What are you doing in this secluded corner, William?" he questioned, the knight's cheeks were slightly dusted with pink. "Well, he is with the other princes, and he could protect himself, I don't really have a reason to be with him at the moment." he gazed at the glass he was holding, the liquid was golden-brown, kinda like maple syrup, but it wasn't thick. He hadn't drunk the mystery drink yet, and he wasn't eager to find out its effects.

Will set down his glass on the table and settled for a sweet on a plate near him. He helped himself with a few sweets, then he saw Nico walking towards him. Will noticed that he looked like an idiot, his mouth was stuffed with sweets and sugar from the sweets were on his chest. He swallowed the sweets in his mouth and drank his drink (which was surprisingly sweet) and fell into a coughing fit afterwards.

"Stop embarrassing me," Nico told the knight, a smile on his face and an amused look in his eyes. Will rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, which was unnaturally warm. "Sorry, my prince. Is there any help I could do for you?" the knight asked.

"This ball is boring, wanna go somewhere else?" Nico said, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. Will blinked, he laughed a little, "As much as I want to leave this blasted place, I can't. I'd probably be hanged if I were to disobey orders of the king-"

"Which is to protect me and go with me wherever I go, and I wanna go somewhere." Nico finished the sentence, the knight sighed in defeat, "Fine, where do you want to go anyway?"

"Just... come with me."


	6. Under the moonlight

Nico navigated the palace with ease, as if he had once lived here. Will followed the prince, looking behind them every now and then to see if they were being followed. "With all due respect, my prince, if we get caught, I'm blaming you." Will warned, the prince rolled his eyes. "Say whatever, I promise you that we're not going to get caught. I'm an honorary member of the king's court, I also lived here a few years back, so trust me on this."

The words on his tongue felt odd, he asked Will to trust him when he did not fully trust the knight himself. The knight stayed silent and decided to follow the prince, wherever he was going. They walked through corridors and hallways, until they reached a wooden door, its corners were green from moist and age. Out of all the places in the castle, the door seemed to be the oldest, "Where does this go?" Will inquired, "Shut up and you'll see." The prince opened the door, a stairway was before them, "Let's go, close the door once you get in." he said.

The knight obliged, his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden darkness of the room, he followed the prince up the stairs, occasionally tripping because of the dark. When they finally reached the end, they found themselves in a dimly moonlit room, crates and items littered the floor, papers and objects were stacked in piles, "What is this place?" Will asked as he turned around, he was confused and awe-struck. "This is the palace's storage room, it is one of my favorite spots in Occasus." Nico replied as he picked up an old book from the floor, its pages yellow of age. Will began to look around for things that would catch his eye and saw a bow sitting next to a dusty violin. He picked up the instrument, blowing off the dust on the surface. It was a little out of tune but after turning the pegs and tightening the bow, he began to play a melody.

Nico was entranced by the music, he found the knight playing a violin with such familiarity, "You play violin?" the prince asked, surprised at the fact that a knight could play better than he could (though he would never admit that). "Yeah," Will smiled, finishing the short melody he was playing. "My father, was a musician. I found music sheets that belonged to him so I practiced those pieces with my mother. I'm not sure where he is right now, but I guess he's happy." Will's gaze fell to the floor, he almost looked sad, Nico wasn't used to seeing the knight sad. He turned around and saw that door he had been looking for, a small smile graced his lips, he said, "Come, I have something else to show you."

Will returned the violin to where he found it and followed the prince. Nico opened the small wooden door and crawled through it, the knight followed him and was hit with the cold evening air.

They were on the rooftop of the palace, overlooking the capital city and the ocean nearby. Stars sparkled above them, the moon shone brightly. Will glanced at the prince, his dark hair was windswept, his face illuminated by the pale moonlight, his cheeks red from the cold, Will couldn't describe the feeling he was experiencing. It was from his chest, a warmth spread from his chest that went throughout his whole body, his palms began to sweat, his neck felt warm against the cold air, his heart was beating faster than it normally did. He felt this feeling as he gazed upon Nico, he looked breathtaking and beautiful under the moonlight.

"What is it?" Nico asked, he caught the knight staring at him once again. Will snapped back to reality, "Oh...uh, I-it's nothing." he looked away, his face was warm. Nico said nothing for a few seconds, he sat on the roof and motioned at the knight to sit next to him.

Will sat adjacent to Nico, there was a small space between them, but Nico wanted to move closer to the knight. He was cold, and Will's warmth was so near to him. The prince shivered, Will looked at the monarch, "If you're cold, don't hesitate to come near me. I mean, I wouldn't mind." he smiled, Nico's face became redder than a tomato. "As if I'm cold." the prince scoffed. The knight grinned and took off his cloak, "W-what are you doing?" Nico asked, his face warming each passing second. "You are cold, don't lie to me." Will draped the cloth on the prince's shoulders. The prince was too flustered to speak, his heart was doing jumping jacks as his eyes met the knight's bright blue irises. "W-what about y-you?" Nico asked, "You'll get cold too."

"Don't worry about me, my prince. It's my duty anyway as your knight." Will smiled.

Both were silent, gazing at the stars that sparkled above them. Will placed his hands behind his head and lied down, "Do you think they've noticed?" Will asked, Nico raised an eyebrow. "Noticed what?"

"That you and me are nowhere to be seen in the party?"

"...Quite possibly. But I wouldn't worry about it, they probably just assumed that we went to the restrooms."

Will laughed, "They're probably wondering what's taking us so long in the restrooms." Nico laughed, "Well, it's up to their imaginations." Their laughter slowly died down, letting the silence of the evening consume the atmosphere. Nico lied down next to the knight, looking up at the starry sky. Nico bit his lip, he was probably going to regret the question he was about to ask the knight.

"Hey Will,"

"Hm?"

"You mentioned your father earlier, I was wondering if you could tell me who is."

The prince was met with silence for a few moments, Will breathed deeply, "I was young when he left, old enough to walk but too young to remember clearly. I only heard stories from my mother, she'd tell me stories about my father before I went to bed every night. He was a noble in Aquilonius and my mother was a middle-class citizen in Austellus, I don't know how but, they fell in love and I was born. Two years after I was born, he left me and my mother, he never returned after all these years, so I assumed that he's dead."

Will was quiet for a while, then he turned to the prince," What about you? You said that you used to live here, right? Could you tell me why?"

"Well," Nico rubbed his arm nervously, he didn't really want to talk about it, but since he asked first, he knew that he had to tell him. "Five years ago, when a war was raging between Austellus and Aquilonius, my father sent me and my sister here in Occasus, which was neutral back then. He was certain we were safe when my sister, joined a group of warriors who volunteered to fight alongside Austellus. She left a month after we arrived here. I continued to live in the castle with my uncle and cousin, two months before the war ended, I received news that my mother was slain in battle, a few weeks after that, I received a letter saying that my sister was killed as well. And..."

He ended it there, he didn't want to continue. he didn't want his wounds to be reopened again. Will understood and didn't press on, instead he tried to change the subject. "Do you think we should head back now?" he asked. "... Let's stay here for a little while." the prince replied.

"As you wish, my prince."


End file.
